Hand towel dispensing appliance



970 c. w. SCHNYDER 3,522,978

HAND TOWEL DISPENSING APPLIANCE I Filed Aug. 30. 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 C. W. SCH NYDER HAND TOWEL DISPENSING APPLIANCE Aug. 4, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 30, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet Aug. 4, 1970 c. w. SCHNYDER HAND TOWEL DISPENSING APPLIANCE Filed Aug. 50. 1968 r//// /WA 1970 c. w. SCHNYDER 3,522,978

HAND TOWEL DISPENSING APPLIANCE Filed Aug. 30, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet &

Aug. 4, 1970 c. w. SCHNYDER HAND TOWEL DISPENSING APPLIANCE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 30, 1968 United States Patent i 3,522,978 HAND TOWEL DISPENSING APPLIANCE Conrad W. Schnyder, Triesenberg, Liechtenstein Filed Aug. 30, 1968, Ser. No. 756,474- Int. Cl. B65h 19/00 US. Cl. 312-38 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hand towel dispensing appliance is disclosed in which a hand towel in strip form can be withdrawn from a supply and over a measuring roller. A driving roller for winding the used towel on a roll is coupled to the measuring roller by gearing means including a spring power storing means. While the hand towel is being withdrawn over the measuring roller a pawl engages a ratchet wheel coupled to the driving roller to prevent rotation of the latter so that the Spring power storing means is tensioned. When a predetermined length of the hand towel has been withdrawn a ratchet lever is brought into engagement with a ratchet wheel coupled to the measuring roller so that the latter is arrested. The withdrawal of the hand towel also starts operation of a timing mechanism which is adapted to release, after a predetermined periad, the said pawl preventing rotation of the driving roller. After such period, therefore, the tensioned spring power storing means turns the diving roller to wind up the length of towel previously withdrawn. The timing mechanism also releases the ratchet wheel arresting the measuring roller in order to prepare the appliance for a subsequent operation.

This invention relates to a hand towel dispensing applicance having a measuring roller over which a stripform hand towel can be withdrawn from a supply; a presser roller which bears against the measuring roller and around which the hand towel is conducted, a driving roller for driving a hand towel roll to wind used towel on the roll, this driving roller being coupled by gearing to the measuring roller; a ratchet wheel which is positively coupled to the measuring roller; a ratchet lever which, after the measuring roller has turned each time through a predetermined angle, is adapted to be brought by an element of the said gear coupling into engagement with the ratchet wheel for the purpose of arresting the measuring roller; and having a timing mechanism including a lever which is adapted to be turned by the withdrawal of a length of hand towel from a first into a second position in which it is held for a predetermined period by delay means and which produces a restoration of the ratchet lever when it subsequently returns to its first position. In known hand towel dispensing appliances of this character the driving roller is positively coupled to the measuring roller through the aforesaid gear coupling. The hand towel forms, between the measuring roller and the driving roller, a loop which hangs out of the housing of the appliance and which always remains the same size, in that simultaneously with the withdrawal of hand towel over the measuring roller an equal length of hand towel is wound up by the driving roller.

In these known dispensing appliances a user, when he is too lazy to pull out a fresh length of hand towel, can dry his hands on the loop of towel which is already hanging out of the appliance. Moreover as a rule the end of the hand towel hangs for a long period out of the appliance when the hand towel supply has been used up and is then used by a lot of people. This is most undesirable for hygienic reasons.

The object aimed at by the present invention is to provide expedients which militate against this and so develop the hand towel dispensing appliances referred to above that when the hand towel supply has been used up, the end of this towel is automatically drawn into the appliance by means of the driving roller, and that when the appliance is ready for use the hand towel is always pulled taut in the rest condition between the measuring roller and the driving roller, for example over a housing of the appliance, and a user can pull out a predetermined length of towel over the measuring roller, a corresponding length of towel being wound up by the driving roller only after a predetermined period of time has expired.

If the hand towel is pulled taut in the rest condition, the user is forced to draw out a fresh length of hand towel each time, and cannot simply use the length of towel which has previously been withdrawn.

It is known to meet the first of these objects by means of a spring power storage means which is loaded by the rotation of the measuring roller when the appliance is in use. In this solution of the problem (Swiss patent specification No. 404,123) a special arrangement which detects the passage of the end of the hand towel from the appliance is required to trigger the spring power storage means.

It has now been found that it is possible to meet both these objects simultaneously and by comparatively simple means.

In the automatic hand towel dispensing appliance according to the present invention there is incorporated in the aforesaid gear coupling a spring power storing means having a driven member which is positively coupled to the driving roller, and having a driving member which is positively coupled to the measuring roller. The transmission ratio of the gear coupling between the measuring roller and the driving roller is so selected that the spring power storing means becomes more tensioned at each successive operation, the peripheries of the measuring roller and the driving roller turning in succession through the same arcuate lengths. A pawl is in locking engage ment in its effective position with a second ratchet wheel which is positively coupled to the driving roller, the aforesaid lever of the timing mechanism, so long as it is in its first position, contacting the pawl, and holding it out of engagement with this second ratchet wheel. The said presser roller is disposed for pivoting about the axis of the measuring roller and is arranged to pivot the said lever of the timing mechanism from the first to the second position as soon as it, in turn, is pivoted by withdrawal of a length of hand towel.

An embodiment of the towel dispensing appliance according to the invention is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic vertical section through the hand towel dispensing appliance.

FIG. 2 is a partial view from the front, the housing being omitted,

FIG. 3 is a section of a detail taken on the line III- III of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a partial side view, on an enlarged scale and the housing being omitted, which discloses in its rest position, the mechanism, which cooperates with the measuring roller and the driving roller, a cover plate of this mechanism again being omitted,

FIG. 5 is a section on the line VV of FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a section on the line VI-VI of FIG. 4, and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are views similar to that of FIG. 4 but with the parts in different positions.

The automatic hand towel dispensing appliance illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a housing with a rear wall 1 and a front wall composed of two sections 2 and 3. These sections of the front wall can be swung up around hinges 2a and 3a respectively for replacing a hand towel in the applicance. A supply of fresh hand towel in the form of a roll 4 is arranged in the housing. The hand towel 5, the path of which is indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 1, can be drawn from the supply roll 4 over a measuring roller 6 and through a slot in the housing between the two sections 2 and 3 of the front wall.

The measuring roller '6 is driven in response to the Withdrawal of the hand towel. To obviate any slipping between the hand towel and the measuring roller the latter is given a rough surface, for example in the form of a covering of abrasive cloth. In addition a presser roller 7 is mounted above measuring roller 6 and the hand towel, which is wound around the presser roller, is pressed against the measuring roller by the weight of the roller 7, and, if required, by a spring loading of the latter (not shown). Furthermore a smooth stripper bar 8 is arranged beneath measuring roller 6 and also serves to press the hand towel against this roller and precludes the formation of folds in the hand towel applied against the roller. The stripper bar 8 is supported from the lower section 3 of the front wall by means of resilient carrier 8a.

The hand towel emerging from the slot in the front wall of the housing is tensioned around the bottom part of the housing and re-enters the latter through an opening in the bottom of the same. -It passes to a winding up roll 9 driven by a driving roller 10.

The spindles 6a and 10a of the measuring roller 6 and the driving roller 10, respectively, are mounted in two side plates 11 and 12 supported in the housing. Afiixed to the outer side of side plate 12 is a box 13 (FIG. 1) containing a mechanism which fulfils the following functions: This mechanism couples the spindles of the measuring roller 6 and the driving roller 10 together and to a timing mechanism in such a way that the measuring roller 6 is stopped each time a predetermined length of hand towel has been pulled out, and that a corresponding length of the towel is wound up by means of the driving roller 10 after the expiry of a predetermined period, and the measuring roller is released again.

The mechanism installed in box 13 is illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 8. As can be seen a toothed wheel 14 is secured to the spindle 6a of measuring roller 6. This wheel 14 engages an intermediate pinion 15 rotatably mounted in box 13. In turn the intermediate pinion meshes with a toothed wheel 16 which is rigidly connected with the spring housing 17 of a spring power pack, or is made integrally therewith. A bush 18 on the core of this spring power pack, which is secured to the spindle 10a of the driving roller 10 is connected to the spring housing 17 through a spiral spring 19 (FlG. 5). The spring housing 17, with toothed wheel 16, is rotatably mounted on the bush 18. This bush 18 carries a ratchet wheel 20 cooperating with a spring loaded pawl 21 which is pivoted to the boss of intermediate pinion 15. Ratchet teeth 22 are also provided at the periphery of housing 17 and a pivoted spring urged pawl 23 cooperates with these ratchet teeth 22 to prevent rearward rotation of the spring housing 17, and thus also of the toothed wheels 14 and 16 and pinion 15, under the action of loaded spring 19.

It will be appreciated that parts 14 through 19 form a gearing means coupling the measuring roller 6 to the driving roller 10 and including a spring power storage means. This spring power storage means consists of the driving member or spring housing 17, the spiral spring 19 and the driven member or bush 18.

A ratchet wheel 24 is also secured to spindle 6a of measuring roller 6, and this ratchet wheel 24 cooperates with a ratchet lever 25 which is adapted to turn about a pivot 25a. Ratchet lever 25 is spring urged into its first position illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 7 and in this position it releases the ratchet wheel 24. A control element 26 which is non-rotatably connected to the intermediate pinion 15 engages a pin 25b secured to the ratchet lever 25, at each rotation of the intermediate pinion 15, and displaces this lever 25 into the second position thereof indicated in FIG. 8, Le the position in which the ratchet lever is held by a spring loaded pawl 27 and in turn holds up the ratchet wheel 24.

The timing mechanism which has been briefiy referred to above comprises a lever 28 which is pivotally mounted about spindle 6a. This lever 28 is spring urged towards its first position shown in FIG. 4. It has at its free end a suction cup 29 adapted to cooperate with a fixed section cup 30. Moreover a second and shorter lever 28a is made integrally with the lever 28, and the spindle 7a of the presser roller 7 is adapted to engage this lever 28a to turn lever 28 into a second position (FIGS. 7 and 8), when the spindle 7a (with the presser roller 7) is pivoted around the axis 6a of measuring roller 6.

This pivoting of the presser roller 7 about axis 6a takes place against spring action (not shown) as soon as a user pulls on the hand towel 5 disposed around the presser roller and projecting out of the slot in the front wall of the housing.

The presser roller 7 is mounted on a carrier 31 which is pivotable about the spindle 6a of measuring roller 6. Carrier 31 has two side plates 31a and 31b which are mounted on spindle 6a and are interconnected by a rear plate 310 (FIGS. 2, 3).

In the vicinity of its free end lever 28 has two projections 28b and 280. When the lever 28 moves back from its second (FIGS. 7 and 8) to its first position (FIG. 4) the projection 28b contacts pawl 27 and turns this in opposition to its spring loading. As a result the ratchet lever 25 is released and returns to its position in FIGS. 4 and 7 under the action of its own spring loading. The other projection 280 or lever 28 is applied against the upper end of the pawl 21 and holds this out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 20 so long as lever 28 remains in its first position (FIG. 4). A spring 32 moves locking pawl 21 into engagement with ratchet wheel 20 as soon as lever 28 leaves its first position.

The automatic hand towel dispensing appliance described above operates as follows:

In the rest condition the hand towel 5, as shown in FIG. 1, is stiffly tensioned between the measuring roller 6 or the presser roller 7 and the driving roller 10 over the lower part of the housing, and the various parts are disposed in the positions illustrated in FIG. 4, that is to say lever 28 is in its first position and holds locking pawl 21 out of engagement with ratchet wheel As soon as the user pulls on the part of the hand towel 5 located outside the housing the presser roller 7 and its carrier 31 are, as a result, first pivoted forwards against the spring loading thereof (not shown) around the axis of measuring roller 6. Spindle 7a of the presser roller, which bears against lever 28a takes this with it and as a consequence pivots lever 28 (against its individual spring loading) into its second position (-FIG. 7), the pawl 21 being released and engaging the ratchet wheel 20 in order to hold driving roller 10 against turning. The cups 29 and 30 are firmly applied together under suction. Immediately further pivoting of presser roller 7 and carrier 31 becomes impossible the measuring roller 6 is turned by further Withdrawal of hand towel. Toothed wheel 14 turns the spring housing 17 through pinion 15 and toothed wheel 16 and loads spring 19 (the spring core bush 1% being held against rotation). in addition the control element 26 turns with pinion 15. The condition so established is illustrated in FIG. 7.

After the pinion 15 and the control element 26, starting from the position of FIG. 4, has performed something less than a single rotation, the control element 26 contacts the pin 25b on the ratchet lever 25 and turns the latter into the position shown in FIG. 8. Lever 25 now engages the next tooth of ratchet wheel 25 which abuts it and stops the rotation thereof and thus the rotation of measuring roller 6. In the example illustrated ratchet wheel 24 has four teeth and the transmission ratio between pinions 14 and 15 is chosen so that ratchet wheel 24 makes exactly 1% revolutions for one rotation of the control member 26. Measuring roller 6 thus stops each time after 1% rotations thereof and control element 26 comes to a standstill in the same position each time after one rotation (FIG. 8). Thus a transmission ratio between the measuring roller 6 and the control member 26 which differs from one produces the result that the measuring roller 6 will stop in an intermediate position after each operation, and as a consequence the surface of the measuring roller will not be worn out at one part only.

When the measuring roller 6 has been arrested the withdrawn length of hand towel (corresponding to 1% rotations of the measuring roller) hangs in'a loop from the housing and the user can then dry his hands. As soon as he discontinues pulling the hand towel the presser roller 7 and its carrier 31 are pivoted back by the spring means thereof into the position shown in FIG. 4, but lever 28 remains temporarily in its second position as a consequence of the engagement between the suction cups 29 and 30. This condition is illustrated in FIG. 8.

After the lapse of a predetermined period the suction cups 29 and 30 detach from each other and lever 28 is returned by its spring loading to its first position. During this return movement of lever 28 the projection 28b thereof releases pawl 27 and so frees the ratchet lever 25 to return to its starting position seen in FIG. 4. In addition projection 280 on lever 28 contacts pawl 21 and releases it from the ratchet wheel 20. The spring core bush 18 and driving roller thus commence to turn under the action of the tensioned spring 19 and the withdrawn hand towel is wound up on reel 9 until this towel is again pulled taut over the lower part of the housing (FIG. 1). All the parts are then back in their starting positions seen in FIG. 4 and the hand towel dispensing appliance is ready to be operated afresh.

It will be clear that, each time the appliance is used in the manner described above a predetermined length of hand towel is first drawn out and, after the expiry of a predetermined period, a similar length of towel is wound up. Thus the peripheries of a measuring roller 6 and driving roller 10 turn over the same arcuate lengths following one another. =If driving roller 10, for example, is of the same diameter as measuring roller 6 then driving roller will, like the measuring roller, make 1% rotations each time and will also not become worn at one part. In any case, however, the transmission ratio between the toothed wheels 14 and 16 is so chosen that the spring housing 17 turns, at each operation, through an angle which is very slightly greater than the angle through which the driving roller 10 rotates for winding up the withdrawn length of hand towel. If the measuring roller 6 and driving roller 10 are of the same diameter the toothed wheel 16 would thus turn slightly faster than toothed wheel 14. The result of this is that the spiral spring 19 is somewhat more tensioned at each operation, that is to say more tensioned than was previously the case. When the complete hand towel supply 4 is used up after a plurality of operations, spring 19 is so powerfully tensioned that it is capable of winding up on to the winding up roll 9 the complete end of the hand towel withdrawn from the housing by the last user.

The fact that first the presser roller 7 and carrier 31, and thus also the lever 28 of the time regulating arrangement 28, 30, are pivoted at each operation of the hand towel dispensing appliance described has the particular advantage that the winding up of the withdrawn hand towel also takes place when the operation is not completed, that is to say when the complete length of hand towel has not been withdrawn until it will stop the measuring roller 6. The hand towel will be wound up as soon as the lever 28 moevs back into its starting position on detachment of the suction cups 29 and 30.

What I claim is:

1. A hand towel dispensing appliance comprising:

a supply of hand towel in strip form;

a measuring roller over which the hand towel can be withdrawn from the said supply;

a presser roller which bears against the said measur ing roller and around which the hand towel is conducted, the said pressor roller being disposed for pivoting about the axis of the measuring roller;

a hand towel roll for taking up used hand towel;

a driving roller for driving the said hand towel roll to wind the used towel on the roll;

gearing means coupling the measuring roller to the driving roller, which gearing means include a spring power storing means having a driven member which is positively coupled to the said driving roller, and having a driving member which is positively coupled to the measuring roller;

a ratchet wheel which is positively coupled to the measuring roller;

a ratchet lever which is adapted to be brought into engagement with the said ratchet wheel, for the purpose of arresting the measuring roller, by an element of the said gearing means after the measuring roller has turned each time through a predetermined angle;

a timing mechanism including a lever and means for pivoting this lever from a first into a second position in response to a pivoting movement of the said presser roller about the axis of the measuring roller, caused by the withdrawal of hand towel from the said supply and around the presser roller, the said timing mechanism further including delay means adapted to hold the said lever in the said second position during a predetermined period, the said lever having means for causing, when it subsequently returns to its first position, a restoration of the said ratchet lever;

a second ratchet wheel which is positively coupled to the said driving roller; and

a pawl having an effective position in which it is in locking engagement with the said second ratchet wheel, the said lever of the said timing mechanism, so long as it is in its first position, contacting the said pawl and holding it out of engagement with the said second ratchet wheel;

the transmission ratio of the said gearing means between the measuring roller and the driving roller being so selected that the said spring power storing means becomes more tensioned at each successive operation during which the peripheries of the measuring roller and of the driving roller turn in succession through equal arcuate lengths.

2. A hand towel dispensing appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein a preloaded second pawl is provided for retaining the said ratchet lever in the position in which it engages the first said ratchet wheel, and wherein the said means for causing a restoration of the ratchet lever comprise a projection on the said lever of the timing mechanism which projection is adapted to release the said second pawl when the said lever is pivoted.

3. A hand towel dispensing appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said element of the gearing means which operates the said ratchet lever is so coupled to the said measuring roller that this element and the measuring roller turn at a speed ratio ditferent from unity.

4. A hand towel dispensing appliance as claimed in claim 1, having a housing with a pivotably mounted front wall section and a smooth stripper bar which is resiliently supported on the said front wall section and is disposed adjacent the said measuring roller and parallel to the latter and adapted to press the hand towel against the measuring roller to prevent the formation of folds in the section of the hand towel passing between the measuring roller and the said presser roller.

'5. A hand towel dispensing appliance asclaimedin cliam 1, having a housing and two side plates supported in the housing, the said measuring and driving rollers being mounted between the said two side plates, and further having a box mounted at the outer side of one of the said two side plates, the said gearing means including the spring power storing means and also the said first and second ratchet wheels, the said ratchet lever, the said pawl and the said timing mechanism all being disposed in the said box.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS NILE C. BYERS, JR., Primary Examiner 

